Food markets play a crucial role in the economic and social functioning of large cities, thanks to the fact that they become the main distribution point of fresh food and basic products.such as fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, seeds, cereals, groceries, among others.
Besides, They are one of the main suppliers of smaller markets, self-service stores, and other retailers that, in turn, supply the urban population, helping to ensure a constant supply of food.said Héctor Iván del Toro Ríos, research professor at the Department of Economics of the University Center for Economic-Administrative Sciences (CUCEA).
“The Guadalajara Food Market is one of the largest and most relevant in our country, because it is a market that plays a crucial role in the regional economy compared to the national one, mainly because it allows many of the native products from here in Jalisco to be mobilized. . Its relevance can be very radical, given its capacity for concentration and distribution, which allows for fresh products and some other goods that are necessary not only for families, but also for the completion or production of final goods and services. as meals, also connecting a food and merchandise supply network for the region.”
In this sense, It is a vital market, not only for large distributors but also for those businesses that depend on products at competitive prices in order to obtain profits from end consumers.. “The advantage is that this allows economies of scale and price competitiveness, by concentrating a large number of suppliers and distributors who are gathered in the same place and that is why the supply market allows a way to access small businesses or products that are at lower costs so that economies can have a fluctuating shape and that people can resort to being able to attend to what has been the supply of their goods and services, trying to reduce some costs,” he added. the specialist.
According to Salvador Hernández, former president of the UCMA, In the supply center you can purchase the most accessible basic basket in all of Mexico: “You have products from different states.”
“Food heroes”
In 2013, the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico recognized the Centrals de Abasto as “Entities of National Interest”, while In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) declared supply centers around the world as the “Food Heroes”for its important role in the health emergency.
Supply Centers in Mexico
- The 66 supply centers and 24 wholesale markets that exist in Mexico bring together more than 55 thousand businessmen and merchants.
- Through the National Network of Supply Centers, 75% of the national agricultural and fishing production is distributed.
- At the national level, supply centers generate around 1,850,000 direct jobs, not counting temporary and indirect jobs.
- Through public markets, municipal markets, flea markets, neighborhood stores, collection stores, fruit and vegetable stores, supply centers cover 70.3% of the national food market.
- The supply centers deliver fresh products to more than one million 350 thousand retail establishments and places where food is prepared and sold.
*Source: National Confederation of Groups of Supply Center Merchants.
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